05/21/2007

The Washington Post/Marvin Joseph
Paula Deen's Grits Cakes with Creamy Mushrooms and Country Ham.

True Grits

Paula Deen's memoir is an instant smash

BY JOE YONAN
The Washington Post

The Washington Post/ Marvin Joseph
Paula Deen proves that she has a way with grits — and, of course, butter.

It might as well have been a scene from "Paula's Party,'' one of Paula Deen's two Food Network shows.

Passing through Washington, D.C. while on a book tour for her bestselling new memoir, "Paula Deen: It Ain't All About the Cookin','' (Simon & Schuster), she stirred, tasted, seasoned and served while fielding compliments from a growing crowd. She also answered questions about the best ways to cook up her favorite side dish, the ground dried corn we call grits.

"Folks, in the state of Georgia, we'll eat grits three times a day, and we'll find a different way to eat 'em each time,'' she says.

That includes the classic Low Country shrimp and grits, fried grits cakes with sausage, smothered quail over grits, even a key lime grits pie she developed for "The Lady & Sons Just Desserts'' (Simon & Schuster, 2002).

But her favorite, the way she learned from her grandmother, is the simplest. She doesn't start with "fancy grits,'' the coarsest stone-ground ones served in "some of the uppity restaurants.'' No, regular quick-cooking (but not instant) ones made by Jim Dandy, Quaker or Aunt Jemima will do just fine. Especially if there's butter and cream, milk, whipping cream, sour cream or maybe cream cheese to stir in.

Deen's cooking lesson, with husband Michael Groover and assistant Brandon Branch in tow, came the morning after she kept a sold-out crowd of 500 enraptured at a speech hosted by the Smithsonian Associates at the Museum of Natural History. Radio host Jim Bohannon tried to interview Deen on stage, but her tangential stories and inability to stay in her seat pretty much rendered him, as he declared, "superfluous.''

"Superfluous?'' Deen said with a smile and a wink at the crowd. "What does that mean?''

The topic was her book, which debuted recently at No. 2 on the New York Times hardcover nonfiction bestseller list. With the help of co-author Sherry Suib Cohen, Deen writes about her days as a high school cheerleader in Albany, Ga.; the untimely deaths of her parents and the agoraphobia that followed; her failed first marriage; her regrets as a mother; her struggles to build a restaurant business; and her ongoing love affair with Groover.

Branch called the crowd quieter than some at other recent appearances, which he says have taken on the feel of a "revival,'' but there was still plenty of testifying as Deen brought her triumph-over-adversity message to life. One couple held up pictures of a baby granddaughter wearing an apron, shouting out that she would be perfect for Deen's infant grandson, Jack. A row of women nodded and whooped when Deen described the romantic appeal of eating oxtails: "You girls know what I'm talking about,'' she said.

Deen takes a calorific approach that is so intertwined with her persona that at the Smithsonian event, audience members were calling out "Butter!'' before Deen even had the chance to answer questions such as, "What's the secret to good Southern cooking?'' Besides books, she has signed more packages of fans' Land O Lakes than she can count. Nonetheless, she brushes aside suggestions that Southern cooking isn't the most nutritious way to eat.

"We eat so many vegetables in the South. We don't eat fried chicken every day. I don't eat biscuits and gravy every day. I want to, but I don't,'' she said, while acknowledging that her breakfast that morning had been steak and eggs. "It's about taking responsibility for yourself, and everything in moderation.''

Her parents died young, but she says her father's heart attack was related to rheumatic fever he had as a child, and she believes her mother's death soon after was hastened by grief. The rest of her family is known for longevity, including a grandmother who lived to be 91 while teaching Deen that the best collard greens "are when they're greasy.''

"It's genetic, y'all, I'm telling you,'' she says.

Deen says that even though she's carrying 40 extra pounds ("I've got to go on a starvation diet, y'all''), she's as worried about overexposure as about fat. Besides the TV shows and cookbooks, she has two restaurants in Savannah (The Lady & Sons, which she owns with her sons, Bobby and Jamie, and the newer Uncle Bubba's Oyster House, which she owns with her brother), the popular magazine Cooking With Paula Deen, endorsement deals and a growing line of products.

"Because people trust me, it's very, very important that whatever I do, it makes sense,'' she says. "I have to be able to look in somebody's eye and say, 'Why, that is the best ham I have ever eaten.' ”

Her deal with Smithfield Foods Inc. has brought some dissent to Deen's book tour. Outside the Smithsonian event Wednesday evening, a dozen demonstrators protesting working conditions in Smithfield's Tar Heel plant held signs with slogans such as, "Don't Let Smithfield Ruin Your Reputation.'' A protester stood up inside and tried to put the issue to Deen while she was on stage but was drowned out by protective boos.

"I don't know enough to talk about it, but that's just not the Smithfield I know,'' Deen said the next day. "The people at Smithfield are some of the most ethical people I've ever met.''

If Deen were to continue to chart the same course as fellow food queens Rachael Ray and Martha Stewart, a talk show would seem to be in the offing; friends already refer to her as Okra (a Southern, white Oprah). She says she has tossed around ideas for just such a plan but isn't sure she wants the work load.

For someone who once spent two months in bed rather than face the world, the ability even to consider such exposure surely hammers home the sense of accomplishment. As Deen signed books and gave hugs before heading out to catch a plane to Cincinnati, her husband said, "I think she's cured.''

Whipping Cream Grits

• 1/2 c. uncooked regular grits (not instant or quick grits)
• 1 t. salt
• 2 c. water, plus more as needed
• 6 T. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for garnish (optional)
• 1/4 c. heavy cream, at room temperature
• 1 to 2 T. finely chopped chives or parsley, for garnish (optional)

Combine the grits and salt in a small bowl.

In a nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the water to a boil and add 4 T. of the butter. Add the salted grits, stirring for several minutes to combine. When the liquid just begins to bubble at the edges, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the grits have thickened.

Add up to 1/4 c. water, as needed, to keep the grits smooth. Add the remaining 2 T. of butter and the heavy cream, stirring to combine. Serve immediately, with a pat of butter in the center of the bowl and a sprinkling of chives or parsley, if desired. Makes four servings.

Nutrition per serving: 277 calories, 2g protein, 16g carbohydrates, 23g fat, 14g saturated fat, 66g cholesterol, 710mg sodium, 0g dietary fiber

—Adapted from "Paula Deen Celebrates!'' (Simon & Schuster, 2007)

Grits Cakes With Creamy Mushrooms and Country Ham

For the grits cakes:

• 1&1/2 c. cooked, chilled grits
• Pinch salt
• 1 t. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 to 2 T. flour
• 1 large egg
• 3 to 4 T. canola oil

For the sauce:

• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 T. salted butter
• 1/4 c. finely chopped onion
• 1/4 t. ground thyme
• 2 T. white wine
• 1 c. thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms (may substitute coarsely chopped portobello mushroom caps)
• 1/4 c. chopped uncooked country ham, such as Smithfield brand
• 1/4 to 1/3 c. heavy cream
• 1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• Parsley or chopped chives, for garnish

For the grits cakes: Combine all the ingredients except the canola oil in a medium bowl, stirring to combine. Form 2 biscuit-size cakes, about 3/4 inch thick.

In a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the grits cakes and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, until they are crisp and golden brown.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and butter. When the butter has melted, add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5 to 8 minutes or until it becomes translucent. Add the ground thyme, then the white wine, mixing well. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until they have softened and become aromatic. Add the ham, then the heavy cream, stirring constantly, and cook until the sauce has thickened and the cream has reduced a bit. Season with pepper.

To assemble: Place the cakes on a plate, with one slightly atop the other. Spoon the sauce mixture over the top; garnish with parsley or chives. Serve immediately. Makes one serving of two cakes.

Nutrition per serving: 762 calories, 31g protein, 65g carbohydrates, 40g fat, 12g saturated fat, 281g cholesterol, 1982mg sodium, 2g dietary fiber

—Adapted from ``Paula Deen Celebrates!'' (Simon & Schuster, 2007)